“Officer!” The person saw her return and immediately waved happily.
Tao Yu took a deep breath, unable to tell if she was relieved or disappointed, and put on a smile, “Skinny Monkey, what are you doing here?”
“Waiting for you,” Skinny Monkey smiled.
Although he was thin, he wasn’t short. With the distance and the poor street lamp, Tao Yu had momentarily mistaken him for someone else.
Tao Yu asked suspiciously, “Waiting for me to do what?”
“Bribery,” Skinny Monkey said straightforwardly, and when he saw Tao Yu’s stunned expression, he immediately stretched out his hand and revealed a piece of candy.
Tao Yu was stunned and found it somewhat funny, “No thanks, keep it for yourself. I appreciate the sentiment.”
“I have more. Please take it, Officer. It’s not anything valuable,” Skinny Monkey urged, and seeing Tao Yu’s suspicious narrowed eyes, he quickly added, “If you don’t accept it, I won’t feel at ease. After all, I’ve caused you trouble before, and I’m afraid…”
“Alright, I understand,” knowing he was worried about potential retaliation in the fifth district, Tao Yu smiled and took the candy from his palm, “Is this okay?”
“Yes, that’s fine,” Skinny Monkey awkwardly scratched the back of his head, and suddenly became lost in thought looking at Tao Yu’s smile.
This gaze… Tao Yu frowned slightly, and before she could speak, Skinny Monkey opened his mouth, “Don’t mind me, Officer. It’s just that you look very similar to a neighbor’s child from my past, so I can’t help but look a bit more.”
He gave a bitter smile, and Tao Yu couldn’t help but ask, “What happened to him?”
“He died… kidnapped on his way home from school, and by the time they tried to rescue him, he was already a corpse,” Skinny Monkey’s eyes reddened.
Tao Yu pursed her lips, about to offer some comfort when a light footstep came from the nearby forest. She turned her head to see Yue Linze emerging from the woods, the dim light clearly outlining his features.
“What are you doing here?” Tao Yu frowned.
Skinny Monkey stiffened at the sight of Yue Linze, then quickly composed himself, “Officer, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be going now.”
